SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 – The tripartite nuclear-powered submarine deal raises critical questions for Australia’s shipbuilding industry, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) say.
The AMWU call on the Morrison Government to fill in the gaps and show how this plan will deal with existing jobs, create secure jobs, and answer questions on what will happen over the next 18 months as consultation begins.
Existing shipbuilding workers deserve transparency around their future, including those already in training for jobs the Government has guaranteed as part of its plan to develop a sovereign capability around our submarines.
Quotes attributable to AMWU Assistant National Secretary Glenn Thompson
“The futures of thousands of workers’ jobs have been thrown into doubt in a 15-minute press conference in which three world leaders announced that they were killing of a $90bn project with zero detail on what will replace it.
“We need the Morrison Government to come clean on the detail – on how this will create a sovereign industry capability, secure jobs and critically, what will happen with existing workers.
“We also need to know what this means for the plans to build surface ships in Australia and develop a consistent, rolling build to avoid the boom-and-bust cycle of the past.
“All we have is an empty promise that the nuclear-powered submarines will be built in Adelaide. Right now, we don’t have that technology – what’s Morrison’s plan to build it and how many secure, reliable and ongoing jobs will it create?”
“The Morrison Government have wasted billions of dollars on the French submarine deal, which will now be abandoned. After nearly a decade in power, the Liberals have failed our naval ship building industry.”
ENDS
For further comment: Kate Shuttleworth 0447 418 726